antepenult

American  

[an-tee-pee-nuhlt, -pi-nuhlt] / ˌæn tiˈpi nʌlt, -pɪˈnʌlt /

noun

1. the third syllable from the end in a word, as te in antepenult.

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antepenult British  

/ ˌæntɪpɪˈnʌlt /

noun

1. the third last syllable in a word

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Other Word Forms

• preantepenult
  adjective

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Etymology

Origin of antepenult

1575–85; < Latin ( syllaba ) antepaenultima the second (syllable) from the last, feminine of antepaenultimus standing before the penult. See ante-, penult

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

antepenult

Unfortunately the music of the chorus was moulded on the Italian text, and each verse ended with the accent on the antepenult, which occurs frequently in German and Italian, but never in French.

From Musical Memories by Edwin Gile Rich

The accent must fall on the penult, if it was long, otherwise on the antepenult of the word.

From The Common People of Ancient Rome Studies of Roman Life and Literature by Frank Frost Abbott

But if the syllable still remains short after the enclitic has been added, it is not accented unless the word originally took the accent on the antepenult.

From New Latin Grammar by Charles E. (Charles Edwin) Bennett

If the penult is short, the antepenult is accented provided it be long: Sansthā́naka.

From The Little Clay Cart Mrcchakatika by Arthur William Ryder

The accent of this word is on the antepenult; by poetic license, in four of the passages above quoted, it is placed on the penult.

From A Collection of College Words and Customs by Benjamin Homer Hall

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